June 2009 Archives

Just returned from completing a "leadership in aging" training sequence sponsored by the New York Academy of Medicine, to read in Friday's newspapers that the college board voted against any in-state tuition hikes for Mississippi universities.  Ouch!  This is going to hurt, folks.  Tuition hikes were our last best hope for avoiding at least 4.5% cuts for the academic year about to begin, on top of the reductions we already suffered in the current year. 

It's understandable that IHL wants to keep higher education "affordable" for Mississippians, especially as everybody grapples with tough economic times.  I won't speak for the other four-year schools, but certainly Southern Miss is already severely under-resourced, and you can double-underscore the term "under-resourced" when referring to the College of Health.  Additional budget cuts simply cannot be "absorbed" without damaging impact.  I hope our college board members don't believe that they can.

Two days, two good things (among many, in fact):

1.      Yesterday, a press release by David Tisdale on our new interdisciplinary Center on Aging appeared.  As noted in the release, "the center's mission is to respond creatively to the myriad instructional, research and service challenges posed by the aging phenomenon in an inclusive and interdisciplinary manner, with special emphasis on local and regional needs for reliable information and skilled workforce development."  Look for good things to happen with the Center.  Next steps - compose a knowledgeable and engaged advisory council; and hunt for funding!

2.      Today, we launched the first of I hope many "coffee-with-the-dean" hours on the Fritzsche-Gibbs back porch, a very pleasant but underutilized common space.  At least 30 colleagues stopped by for conversation (and Dianne Coleman's popular bran muffins).

Paid a quick visit to Loyalty Field yesterday afternoon to take in part of the inaugural class of a new "access golf" project that Rick Green and Dan Drane in HPR put together.  A most impressive sight!  About a dozen disabled adults enthusiastically learning how to swing a club, with instruction from Hattiesburg County Club pros and assistance from volunteers and therapeutic recreation students, all under the watchful coordinating eye of doctoral student Mike Cottingham. 

The funding source for the project is, appropriately enough, an organization that promotes golfing for the disabled.  But here's a pleasing piece of lagniappe - the grant came with a copy of the book, "Accessible Golf: Making It A Game Fore All," by none other than - Dan Drane!

On to the fairway, ladies and gentlemen....

An opinion piece by Senator Thad Cochran ran Sunday in the Clarion-Ledger.  The subject was health care reform.
 
Several of the senator's remarks struck me as dead-on.  Contending (and can anyone seriously disagree?) that "many chronic diseases are preventable or manageable with a healthy lifestyle," he argues for reform that "promotes wellness and prevention, provides guaranteed coverage for all Americans, discourages frivolous lawsuits, and restructures the payment system."  Cochran further prods his congressional colleagues to "explore solutions that encourage Americans to be healthy."

Advancing health and well-being is, of course, the cornerstone of the College of Health vision.  Welcome aboard, senator!